Message from the Executive Director

Published in WISH’s 2024-25 Annual Report

I joined WISH at a time of great challenge but also great promise.

WISH, like many non-profits, is caught at the centre of colliding crises. Housing, healthcare, gender-based violence and toxic drugs are relentless issues – but 2024/25 ushered in the added burden of broad economic uncertainty and financial hardship.

As WISH’s Executive Director, it is my role to ensure that WISH is able to withstand these headwinds.

Effective leadership requires compassion. It also demands sound analysis, strong teamwork, and decisive action. The decision to cut back WISH programming was not taken lightly. I am proud to be part of a team that was able to make this hard call so that WISH can continue to serve and engage cis and trans women, Two-Spirit, non-binary and gender diverse street-based sex workers well into the future.

To support sustainability and remain true to our mission, WISH’s Senior Leadership Team has made significant improvements to our internal processes. Our Development, Finance and Programming teams now collaborate more effectively, and their decisions are informed by the Participant Engagement team.

We are consciously shifting from a culture of urgency to one of intention, where we can better align our activities with our objectives and the needs of participants. We have also made improvements to our financial systems.

We remain grateful to our generous donors and funders who have supported our transition through this difficult period.

Times of crisis create opportunities for reflection and reset. Moving forward, we are re-centering active sex workers in our programming and focusing on meaningful engagement.

In addition to providing crucial services, we will continue to co-create a space of community and belonging with participants.

I want to thank WISH participants, current and former staff, board members, and donors for your fortitude and to acknowledge how hard this year has been. I am confident in our ability to forge a resilient future together.